Store-service apparatus



(No Model.)

J. H. GOODFELLOW. STORE SERVICE APPARATUS.

No. 479,503. Patented July 26, 1892.

19i [memes UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. GOODFELLOW, OF LANSINGBURG, NElV YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNEASSIGNMENTS, TO THE LAMSON CONSOLIDATED STORE SERVICE COM- PANY, OF NEYVJERSEY.

STORE-SERVICE APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 479,503, dated July 26,1892.

Application filed September 7, 1839. Serial No. 323,258. (No model.)

To aZZ w/tom it may concern:-

Be it known that I, J OHN H. GOODFELLOW, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lansingbnrg,in the county of Rensselaer and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inStore-ServiceApparatus; and I do declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification. I 5 My invention consists in certain improvements inapparatus for transporting cash or parcels, whereby a carrier ispropelled along a track by means of an initial impulse given thereto bythe contraction of an elastic band or its described equivalent in a lineparallel to the track, the said band carrying means for engaging thecarrier and having its one end secured to the track; and my inventionalso consists in the construction, arrangement, 2 5 and combination ofthe several parts of which the said apparatus consists, as will behereinafter more fully described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which corresponding parts aredesignated by corresponding letters, Figure 1 is a side elevation of oneform of my improved apparatus. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same.Figs. 3 and 4 are detached sectional views taken on line 00 0c and yy,respectively, of Fig.

A 5 1. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of another form of my improvedapparatus, representing the treadway and the track composed of steelstrips or bands. Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the same. Figs. 7 and 8are detailed sectional views taken on lines 2 2 and z 2, respectively,of Fig. 5. Figs. 9, 10, and 11 are modifications of my improvedapparatus. Fig. 12 is an end elevation of the carrier. Fig. 13 is an endelevation of the combined grip and stop adapted to the coil-springtreadway shown in The pendants G extend downwardly from the ceiling orare attached to the floor and side walls and carry brackets D, providedwith orifices B and bolt connections a, by

which they may be rigidly secured to the pendants. Adjacent to thependantseach bracket is provided with a sheave-pulley h, pivotallymounted therein, the forward extended portions of the brackets being ofvarious shapes in cross-section, as will best adapt them to receive andhold by any means known to the art the terminating ends of the track a,or may be otherwise modifiedto adapt them to enter the carrier andprevent it from a rocking or swinging motion by reason of its closecontact with the interior side walls of the latter.

The track A may be of varied shapes and is stretched taut between thependants, and is arranged in approximately a horizontal position, asshown in Figs. 1, 5, 10, and 11, or in an inclined position as shown inFig. 9, the carrier used being the same in all cases with the exceptionof a slight modification of the catch thereon, in which modification oneend of the carrier engages the spring-controlled latch n on the arm 15,which is pivotally connected to the stop-block t, clamped or otherwisesecured to the upper end of the track. As before stated, the track maybe of various shapes, and it will be readily understood that it may beconcaved in form, as shown in Fig. 3, in which case it is represented asadapted to partially inclose or hold therein the treadway hereinafterreferred to.

The track A and treadway may be ofstrips or bands, as seen in Figs. 7and S or as seen in Fig. 10. The said track may consist of wirestretched between the pendants G Gand the treadway consist ofspring-wire closelytwisted therearound to form an expansiblespringmotor, the outer ends of which may be provided with suitablecarrier driving stops adapted to check, stop, and hold the latter, 0which receives its impelling force byimpulse transmitted to it throughthe active recoiling or retraction of the treadway after it has beendistended or expanded with a lengthwise movement, thus giving thecarrier an endthrust sufficient to impel it over a part of all thetrack, said extensible means being extended the whole or part of thelength of track.

The track proper is shown in Fig. 10 as connected directly to thependants G G, by which the sheave-pulleys it are supported through themedium of the brackets, the said pulleys being directly beneath thetrack, and thus the operating means (hereinafter fully described).connected to the stop may move in a line parallel with the said track.As shown in Fig. 9, the treadway is attached to the extended end of thebracket, while in Fig. 11 it is shown secured to the track bya clampingdevice a.

The treadway C, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3,-

and 4:, consists of an elastic cord, which may rest in the concave trackA and pass to either or both ends of the way and down through thebrackets over the sheave-pulleys h to within convenient reach. iis astop which may be securely fastened to the treadway, or the handle maybe connected with the stop, or an extending rope j may connect the saidhandle or stop. 9 is a lever having a controlling-pawl e, pivotallymounted in each bracket in the rear of the pulley h, and g is a cord orrod connected therewith to operate the same, and it will be evident thatthese pawls can be used or not, as may be desired.

The treadway, when the device is erected, may be slightly tensioned andthe stop 1; normally kept in contact with the pulleyn, which case thecarrier will engage with one of the stops 1, secured to the treadwaynear each end of the track, and the arm m upon the stop will rest in thenotched seat of the carrier, while the stopj upon the carrier willstraddle the track. The forward ends 0 of the carrier extend from theseat and project downward to permit the arm m to ride thereon and dropinto said seat. arranged, it is but necessary to pull down upon thehandle it, which will expand the treadway and draw back with it thecarrier, the treadway slipping over the track, when by releasing thehandle the treadway contracts the car moving therewith, and havingreceived its impulse the stop 7 comes in contact with the pulley h,causing the stop land arm m to jump from the seat in the carrier,permitting the car to pass on its way to the other end. It is optionalwhether the treadway be secured to the track-support or not; but as aprovision in desired cases I have provided means n therefor, which, asshown in Fig. 4, consist of a wire passing around the treadway andthrough holes in the track, and secured by twisting the ends about themto grip the track and treadway together, or they may be fastened bywrapping wire tightly around them.

When it is desired to construct the apparatus for heavy Work, such asbundle-carrying, Iemploy the metallic plate Q adjacent to the stop I andin advance thereof beneath the treadway and track, thus providing meansfor reducing any friction of the contacting parts.

It will be understood that the concave or To dispatch the carrier thussides near the top,

edges of said support, thus relieving the treadway 0 of any undue weightof the carrier-while being propelled. l I

In Figs. 1, 2, 4, 10, and 11 is illustrated the hereinbefore-describedpawl e and lever f, adapted to hold the carrier at the station after thetreadway has been distended, this being necessary in very long wayswhere an extended impulse is desired.

It will be readily seen that the device as above constructed may beoperated in three dilferent ways: First, assuming that the pawl e isthrown out of engagement with the treadway, the treadway may impel thecarrier by simply pulling the former back by the handle k, and whensuiiiciently tensioned releasing said handle; second, pull the carrierand treadway back, lock it with lever f and pawl e, and manipulate thecarrier, after which by pressing the lever upward the treadway may bereleased, despatching the carrier; third, the treadway may be distendedand locked by the pawl 6 prior to the arrival of the car, (the.

shock of which is taken up in all cases by the stop Z upon thetreadway,) and after the desired manipulation the treadway may bereleased as in the second case, and this last method of operation hasbeen found to be convenient and expeditious.

In Fig. 9 the way is shown as inclined and the sides of the bracket cutaway, which in.

cross-section, when completed, should be substantially as seen in Fig.3, the end S holding the track and the fastener r securing the treadwayto the bracket. The latch t at the upper end of the track is providedwith a starter V, which when used hastens the motion of the carrier whenreleased.

In Fig. 10 the treadway is shown as closely spun upon the wire track,and may be contin uous from end to end of the track or may bediscontinuous, having its inner ends suitably clamped or soldered to thetrack. The stop (shown in detail in Fig. 3) at the end of the treadwaymay have the arms W upon its and the operating-cord j, made fast theretoby being secured into the lug W and the treadway securedin the chamber WThe operation of these combined parts is substantially the same as theother, with the exception that the bracket is omitted in front of thepulley h,and the operatingcord may be of a non-'expansible material.

Referring to Fig. 11, the treadway C is shown extending out upon thetrack and secured by a suitable clamp a, the opposite end of thetreadway being connected with the follower t, which latter is providedwith a tilting catch to, having an extended arm t and a tipping chain orcord t or other equivalent means adapted to automatically lift the latchfrom the carrier when the follower has reached the limit of its forwardmovement, to whichsists of a suitable receptacle H, carried in anyapproved manner by the frame F, in which is mounted the wheels F,adapted to bear on the treadway and track, the said frame F having thedepressed ends 0 and stops p, as has already been described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In astore-service apparatus, the combi nation,with a fixed track extendingfrom station to station, of an elastic treadway having its one endsecured to the said track, means for distending the said treadwayparallel to the said track, a carrier adapted to rest on the track andtreadway, and means carried by the said treadway for engaging thecarrier, substantially as described.

2. In a store-service apparatus, the combination, with a fixed trackextending from station to station, of an elastic treadway secured to thesaid track, a carrier adapted to travel on the said track and treadway,means for distending the end of the said treadway in a line parallelwith the track, a stop 6, limiting the contraction thereof, and meanscarried by the end of the said treadway for engaging the carrier,substantially as described.

3. In a store-service apparatus, the combination, witha fixed track, ofa carrier adapted to travel thereon, an elastic treadway supported bythe said track and carrying the said carrier, means upon the end of thesaid treadway adapted to engage the said carrier, and a pulley overwhich a continuation of the said treadway passes in a line parallel tothe line of the track, substantially as described.

4. In a store-service apparatus, the combination, with a fixed trackextending from station to station, of an elastic treadway secured to andupon the said track and carrying means adapted to engage a carrier, acarrier adapted to rest on the said treadway, and means whereby the endsof the said treadway may be distended parallel to the line of the track,and a stop whereby the contraction of the said treadway will be suddenlylimited, substantially as described.

5. In a store-service apparatus, the combination,with brackets, of afixed track extendin g between the said brackets, an elastic treadwayupon the said track and having means adaptedto engagea carrier, acarrier adapted to travel over the said elastic treadway, a pul leymounted in each of the said brackets, over which the ends of the saidtreadway extend in aline parallel to the line of the track, stops 1',whereby the contraction of the said treadway maybe suddenly stopped, andpawls whereby the saidends maybe retained in their extended position,substantially as described.

6. In a store-service apparatus, the combination, with a fixed trackextending from station to station, of a carrier adapted to travel on thesaid track, an elastic treadway supported by the said track and carryingthe said carrier, means for extending the end of the said elastictreadway in a line parallel to the line of the track, and a catchmounted upon the end of the said'treadway and adapted to antomaticallyengage the carrier and to become automatically disengaged therefrom uponthe contraction of the elastic treadway, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN H. GOODFELLOWV.

Witnesses:

J. R. NOTTINGHAM, WM. H. DELAoY.

